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MCMC has met with Malaysian telecommunication operators over the issue of a possible data breach affecting millions of mobile phone users. — Reuters file picKUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has met with telecommunications companies over the alleged sale of consumer data believed to be obtained illegally.

MCMC chief operating officer Dr Mazlan Ismail said the meeting was held to seek cooperation from all the companies, and so that they could be kept up to speed on the issue.

“This is to ensure that they understand what is happening now, especially when the police, through the Commercial Crime Investigation Department visit them to investigate,” he said after the Star Rating Award 2016 for Public Cellular Service Providers ceremony here, today.

According to him, the security aspects of personal data actually came under the jurisdiction of the Personal Data Protection Department, an agency under the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, while the MCMC had the General Consumer Code of Practice for the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Industry, where there is a provision that service providers should take care of their customers' personal data.

“All aspects are still under investigation, so we do not want to make any conclusions that will only complicate the situation,” he said.

On the RM1 billion allocation to MCMC to expand telecommunications infrastructure and broadband services in Sabah and Sarawak in the 2018 Budget tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak last Friday, Mazlan said it would also involve the development of communications security systems.

“Communications services cannot escape the security aspects, they (service providers) must work together, and safety features are important to gain the trust of consumers,” he said.

At the Star Rating Award 2016, Maxis was named the “Best Cellular Service Provider” while Tune Talk won the “Best Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MNVO)” award.